Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-11-01
LEARNING TO SWIM.


An Important Accomplishments That
should Be Acquired by Everybody.
Learning to swim requires. intellect
ual as we'll as physical effort; the form
er is rarely used. and the consequence
is that it sometimes takes months. and
often years, to learn. The great
trouble in learning is the nervousness
that every one feels at first about get
ting the head under water. and all eff
forts are used in keeping the head out
The experience OF the writer in teach
ing boys to swim has convinced him
that this Is wrong. A good swimmer
should be able to swim under water as
well as at the surface. and the first
step in learning should be to get ac-
customcd to having the head under
water. The learner should at first have
all fear taken away. and then the rest
Il easy. The writer has taught quite
q number OF boys 10 swim, and in
many cases they have learned at the
very first time trying. His method Is
as follows: Take tho learner into the
water. clear water II 1t can be found.
sbout waist deep, 40 that he knows that
no can recover his footing at any time
he choosea Tho first effort should be
TO hold the breath and submerge tho
face. keeping the eyes open, or better
still. II he can do 1t at first. submerge
the whole head. This should be prac-
ticcd until no difficulty is experienced
In Keeping the eyes open. and exciud-
Ing the water from tho mouth and
nose. and until all nervousness Is gone.
There need be no fear Of injury to the
eyes or ears. Then tho learner should
select an obj ct, say fifteen feet away,
plunge boldly under the water, and
make the best Of his way TO It by swim
ming under water with his eyes open,
and fixed upon the point selected. In
almost all cases. his mind boing re-
lleved from fear, he will instinctively
adopt the methods calculated TO accom-
plish tho end desired. while. ON the
other hand. a nervous effort to keep
the head out OF water fixes the mind
upon that alone, and the effort is made
In that direction. rather than In lcarI-
Ing to swim.
Some instruction In making tho
stroke, however, should be given. The
finger ends should bo brought to-
gother Mt tho breast with the thumbs
side by side between the palms OF the
hands and level with their upper
edge; with tho hands In this position,
h. aiAptI hn .xtut,I.I IN. thnft
full length. whom the backs Of the
hands should be rolled inward. bring
Ing the thumbs down, until the backs
firm the letter v the thumbs being
back to back and the edges OF the
foretlngers touching. The learner Ii
now In position for making the most
important movement in learning Ia
swinh and this ID made by sweeping
the extended arms aud "dishng"
hands rapidly around until they touch
the sides, when they should again be
brought to tho breast ready for an.
other stroke There are few readers
who have not seen the movement Of
the frog In the water. aud tho ain
should be TO initiate II In the move.
meut OF tho legs In the recovering
stroke tho movement should DO slow
that Of the propelng stroke rapid by
comparison.
Oily about two and onc-half pound.
OF lifting force, In addition to the
buoyapcy OF tho body, is required tc
hold the head entirely out Of the